Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

A/N: I TRIED! lol I really was hoping to get my crap together before the new year and post but ugh lol. Can we talk about how all in my feels I am about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? I've never mentioned it before, but Star Wars is my other major fandom after Harry Potter! I was never on the Reylo train but after this movie, I'm all aboard lol I don't wanna talk more about it here just in case there's people who haven't seen it yet and don't wanna be super spoiled but tell me your thoughts in the reviews! I literally have spent every waking moment going down on this ship and reading allll the fanfics lol In fact, leave me your recommendations! Either for here or Archive of Our Own :D Okay, so back to Dramoine :p I MAY OR MAY NOT have written THE scene we've ALL been waiting for and now I just have to slip it in the few remaining chapters :p not to mention the epilogue...NOT TO MENTION the Theo/Grangers one shot coming after lol Oh, I wanted to talk about a few questions I got in the reviews about the last chapter and the hows and whys of Harry defeating Voldemort and if Snape was still alive. The short answer is that Harry was able to beat Voldemort with an expelliarmus because in this AU, Snape was the only one involved with the death of Dumbledore, therefore, he was the master of the Elder Wand here instead of Draco in canon. So, when they disarmed Snape in the corridor at Hogwarts a few chapters back, Harry became its new master. Snape is dead, which is why Lucius says 'Salazar rest him' last chapter :/ Thank you so much for all you're reviews and love for this fic, it really does happy things to me :D please enjoy!

Chapter Thirty Seven: Death Is A Natural Part Of Life

"Tori, you know that this is the best thing for both of us."

Astoria's eyes looked particularly green in the light of the gardens today, her blonde hair pulled back messily as she ran her fingers through the strands irritably. She paced back and forth testily, reminding Draco of a caged tiger who had spent too long in captivity. The younger witch stopped her movements and glared hatefully at him. "If you think I'm going to step aside so you can marry that...that WHORE, you've got another thing coming, Draco Malfoy!" she hissed, teeth clenched painfully. Her husband sighed.

"I'm going to ignore that-"

"WHORE!"

"Astoria-"

"WHOOOREEEE!" she screamed back at him, rising up a bit on her feet to be closer to his ear, her beautiful face flushed and blotchy with tears. He was going to hear her, Salazar damn him! For once in their miserable marriage, he was going to listen to what she had to say. His mouth pursed tightly and grey eyes narrowed down at her. Her breath labored a bit, almost as if the anger was leaving her body and all that was left behind was fear. Fear for what was to become of her.

She let her heels fall back down to the plush grass and they stared at each other for what seemed like an age. She could hear the peacocks and other sounds of life teeming in the gardens. Ironic he would choose the place where their marriage began to end it. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"You can't do this to me, Draco. We have a binding contract…"

He sighed deeply and ran a hand down his face, pausing it over his mouth as he contemplated what to say next. "The contract doesn't make any stipulations for an annulment, only divorce. Don't you see that this is a chance for both of us to start over, Astoria? When was the last time you were happy with me?"

"There was a time where you were all I wanted, Draco," she breathed out quietly, her eyes down cast. She paused for a beat, looking back up sadly into his darkening eyes. "But you never wanted me once, did you? It was always her. I didn't stand a bloody chance when Hermione Granger existed in the world. It's not fair, gods dammit, it's not fucking FAIR," she cried quietly, turning her back on him to compose herself. ' I did everything right,'she thought angrily. 'I did everything right and it was never going to be enough!'

She felt a tentative hand on her shoulder and she fought the childish impulse to shake him off. "Tori, I'll make sure you're provided for. I would never just cast you off...you can do whatever you'd like now," he said softly behind her, squeezing her slightly. A scornful scoff left her throat. She turned around to face him.

"Just what am I supposed to do now, Draco? What I wanted was to be a wife and mother, can your money buy me that? How about my reputation as a barren and cast off wife? I'll be ruined! How many wizards do you think will want me now?," she asked wearily. A deep sadness was taking root in her chest as the thought of truly being alone. Her parents would view her as a disgrace and disappointment. Her friends would pity her and use her as a cautionary tale to their own daughters. 'Look at what happened to that poor Greengrass girl', they would said warningly. 'Look at what happens when you don't produce an heir. Look at what happens when you can't keep your husband. You are replaceable.'

"You can have the villa in Greece, if you want. Start over. Astoria, just because you and I couldn't…. that doesn't mean you are barren. We just weren't compatible. You can make a new life for yourself where no one knows the names Malfoy or Greengrass," he promised sincerely. She almost sneered at him. The villa in Greece….the same one that would have been hers if she had managed to birth a live child. Still, the idea wasn't a terrible one….

"So that's it then."

Draco looked at her regretfully for a minute before nodding. "Yes, that's it. If it means anything to you...I am sorry, Tori. None of this was your fault, but you already know that. I deserve your hate." She crossed her arms guardedly and nodded back.

"I'm tired of hating you, Draco Malfoy. Now I just want to forget you."

She turned from him and, with her head held high, began her walk back to the beautiful manor she would no longer call home. Interestingly enough, the thought didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She heard Greece was beautiful this time of year, after all.

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Hermione sat up slowly, with the helpful hand of a trainee healer, and exhaled the breath she had been holding. "That's it, Madame Nott, take it easy. Now, let's move your legs over the bed and slooowwllyyy stand up," the young redhead coached her gently. It had been a long week in St. Mungo's and Hermione was beyond ready to go home to her parents and see Nathaniel. She had sent off an owl to her worried parents, downplaying her injury but explaining her prolonged absence as best she could. She had a feeling her overly observant mother would be having none of it.

Feeling a bracing grip on her elbow, the brunette grunted in the effort to move her uncooperative legs before pushing up off the bed in triumph. She allowed herself a wan smile of gratitude to the girl as she moved to grab her chart. "Hm, looks like you have quite the regime of potions to follow. Are you unclear on any of the dosages?"

Hermione felt her lip curl up at the thought of her potions. No, unfortunately, she was very clear of just how foul her potions were. She shook her head. She walked gingerly over to the table, where Luna had brought over her things from the safe house. The ethereal woman had floated in like a butterfly on a sunny day into her drab room and said how delighted she was her wrackspurts had finally cleared up. Apparently, they had been very distracting to her this whole time.

The news of both the Lupin's deaths had hit her harder than she would have thought, given as she hardly knew them in the grand scheme of things. Her mind had drifted to that precious little boy they were leaving behind, and then to Andromeda Tonks, who in grief was now struggling to care for her grandson.

Hermione huffed as she haltingly pulled the disgusting hospital gown over her slightly matted curls. She had very little care for modesty at this point, she was pretty sure she had none left with any of these healers. Muttering a wandless Scorgify, she shivered slightly from the abrasiveness of the spell before dressing in one of her plainer gowns. What she wouldn't give for a bath right now!

She had let Draco know that she was being discharged today and her plans to recover with her parents. She would have to owl Snape about the Fidelus charm when she could, with Nott Sr. dead and many of the death eaters being rounded up, she felt it was finally time. The trainee had gone to get her discharge signed off by her superiors, so the achy witch settle in the armchair to affix her boots. She was keeping herself busy to avoid looking at the door every few seconds for a large blonde shadow.

Not that he said he would be coming.

Not that she was expecting him to come.

A gentle knocking on the doorway definitely did not make her heart leap a little or feel the disappointment that it wasn't Draco. "All set, Hermione. Did you need assistance to the floo? Remember, no apparating for at least a week and please return immediately if there is any change or pain from the curse site. You will need to schedule a follow up in one month," the trainee smiled from the doorway. Hermione shook her head at the offer for help. She had certainly had enough of being an invalid to last a lifetime.

She took a few moments to gather her belongings and prescription potions before flinging her bag over her uninjured shoulder with a sigh. It was finally time to go home. It took her until she got down to the floo before she remember that home was where her mother was and groaned before throwing a pinch in. She was doomed.

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Something was off about the house the moment she exited her parent's fireplace, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She wasn't given much of a chance to think it over when her son was running up to her, only to be pulled back by her father's strong arm. "Whoa there, kiddo! Remember what we said about Mummy and being gentle with her," Robert Granger chided him gently. Nathaniel had the good grace to look abashed before slowly reaching for Hermione again. She hugged him as tightly as she dared against her legs before accepting her dad's helping hand to the couch.

"Minor injury, hmm?"

Helen Granger raised a dark brow at her daughter's sheepish expression. "I didn't want you to worry, but yes, there was a bit more to it," Hermione allowed, settling into the pillows and letting her son curl up gingerly against her. "Hmm," was all her mother replied, but Hermione wasn't fool enough to think that was the end of it. "The important thing is you're home now."

She nodded tiredly, languidly running her hand through Nathaniel's curls soothingly. She jerked up suddenly. The wards. That's what was off. Using the couch's arm to stand, she whipped her wand out and cast some detection spells to figure out where the issue was. All the basic one's she placed were still intact but…. "The Fidelus," she whispered, her face pale and drawn at the coldness of the implication. The only way to break a fidelus was for the caster to take it down...or…

"Expecto Patronum!" she cast as a small dragon (DRAGON?!) became corporeal before her dazed parents. "Find Severus Snape and tell him to come to my parent's as soon as possible," she instructed it, not willing to delve into the change of her patronus just yet. However, the dragon just looked at her in confusion. 'What is wrong with it? Why hasn't it left yet?' she thought before it hit her. A small cry left her throat and she raised her hand to cover the sound. A patronus can't find someone not in existence anymore in this world. Severus Snape no longer existed.

She fell to the floor and sobbed.

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Draco jumped out of his armchair when a silver dragon patronus appeared in front of him. Who the hell had a dragon patronus besides him? He watched in fascination as it opened its mouth to speak and Hermione's voice floated out. He was so entranced he almost missed what she was saying. She sounded distraught, as if she had been crying, and it set his teeth on edge. "Please, I need you..." she pleaded, rattling off her parent's address. He watched the dragon fade away, it's message delivered. A small purring rumbled though his chest at the knowledge that Hermione's patronus matched his, but he couldn't dwell on it now, not when she so clearly was in pain. Grabbing his wand from the end table next to him, he made his way to the nearest floo.

He exited out to a suburban home where Hermione was weeping on a couch next to two people who could only be her parents. He took in the small black haired woman with hair wild as her daughter's as she turned to him in surprise. "Who are you?" she frowned, clutching Hermione's hand tightly. He opened his mouth but Hermione beat him to it. "Oh, Draco!" she choked, reaching out her free hand to him, and he didn't hesitate to take it. "What's happened?" he asked seriously. All kinds of scenarios popped into his mind, most of them involving her son and death eaters. "Snape is dead," she shuddered another cry. His brow furrowed. Yes, but why was it upsetting her so? He didn't recall their former Head of House being overly involved in her day to day life. "He is, the Dark Lord did it himself," Draco answered cautiously, eyeing her parents nervously. He didn't know what exactly she had told them about the war, being muggles and all. She gripped him harder and cried. "Oh, poor Severus!"

"...Nagini bit him. That's what Potter said anyway. He found him after it had been done and there was nothing he could do, of course. He said that the Dark Lord wanted mastery of the elder wand, and Snape was the killer of Dumbledore," he explained in a low voice. He had been sad to hear about his godfather's death, especially so that he was bit by that bloody snake.

"...But he wasn't the master of it, Harry was."

Draco looked up at her sharply. "What did you say?" he breathed. Hermione took a deep breath to calm her tears. "I said, Harry was the master of the elder wand, then, if Snape had been previously. Harry disarmed Severus before the battle but I gave the wand back to him. Harry didn't want to. The physical wand must not matter, then, if Voldemort already had the wand and Harry still defeated him. Severus was killed for nothing," she finished bitterly, taking her hand back from her mother to wipe her face. A cold revelation indeed, he mused, closing his eyes in pain.

"Snape was the one who protected my parents by casting a Fidelus on this house after I married. He knew Nott Sr. would find them and said I couldn't be the secret keeper for that same reason. No one would have known it was him all along," she sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "It's how I knew he was gone when I arrived here," she finished. Draco's eyes shot open. "Why would he...how did he know your parents were muggles?" he asked, the pieces are falling but he can't quite put them together yet. Her brown eyes bore into his and then he knew.

"Snape was the one who told you to lie about your blood wasn't he?"

She nodded slowly.

"He knew you would never make it in our House as a muggleborn. Oh, you were Lily Evans all over again, weren't you?" Draco almost could have laughed if it wasn't all so sad. She tilted her head in askance. Ah, so she didn't know about her predecessor. Hell, he barely knew except for when his father or other death eaters would let things slip here and there. "Potter's mother. She was a muggleborn who he had a friendship with before Hogwarts, but they had a falling out and then she was killed, as you know. Severus was in love with her and had asked her to be spared but he failed to protect her. He must have took one look at you and decided he wouldn't let it happen again." And thank fuck for that, he added mentally.

Hermione shook her head solemnly. "That poor man," was all she could say. Draco eyed the two bewildered muggles that had moved to give them space but could clearly hear everything. This was so awkward. Especially since they were going to be his in-laws one day...he hoped.

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